Olivier de Serres (; 1539–1619) was a French author and soil scientist whose Théâtre d'Agriculture (1600) was the accepted textbook of French agriculture in the 17th century. Biography Serres was born in 1539 at Villeneuve-de-Berg, Ardèche. His brother, Jean de Serres, was a well-known French humanist and translated the complete works of Plato. His book was notable for recommending winegrowers to plant 5 to 6 varieties in their vineyards to balance the risk of a crop failing, an early advocacy of crop rotation. It also recommended métayage (sharecropping) so that cash tenants would take all the risks and thus demand lower rent, as hired labour is expensive to manage. Sharecroppers administer themselves and risks are divided with the landlord. According to him, only large landowners should take the risk of hiring labourers and running the estate themselves. See also Sugar beet Sarasson Notes External links Le Théâtre d'Agriculture, third edition, 1605 at Gallica 1539 births 1619 deaths People from Villeneuve-de-Berg Soil scientists French agronomists French gardeners Writers from Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes French male writers French Protestants 17th-century agronomists 16th-century agronomists